Love Locks Prague

A symbol of love throughout Europe, Prague is no exception with the love locks along the canal near the Charles Bridge in Prague’s Mala Strana.

The origins of love locks have been attributed to the Italian writer Federico Moccia’s cult novel “I Need You”, written in 2006, however other sources, including Wikipedia, suggest the origins can be traced further back to China. Regardless of the origins, love lock walls have turned up all over Europe, extending as far beyond as Uruguay and Toronto, Canada.

The symbolism behind the locks – everlasting love. Lovers fix their locks on fences or gates, often throwing away the key in a romantic gesture of their love, locked together through time. Is this the ultimate act of “I love you”? or perhaps, a romantic location for young couples to dream, declare their undying love and ask for hands in marriage?

Love lock walls have become controversial – with cities cracking down on the walls of locks, removing them, citing the locks an eyesore in what would be considered a picturesque point of town. Concerns over bridges and overpasses becoming a destination for lovers who are “padlock happy”! The Toronto Star recently published a story – Love Locks Endure – citing exactly that – the trend of declaring one’s love with a lock is enduring. The Telegraph tells a similar story of cracking down – the question is – are they really an eyesore, or a vision of hope and love for couples around the world. Is this the modern day version of star crossed lovers? With Valentines just around the corner, will you be declaring your love eternal?

Lock locks, holding a superstitious nature to some, have become legendary in status (quoted from Wikipedia):

In Fengyuan, Taiwan love padlocks affixed to an overpass at the city’s train station are often affixed in pairs. These locks are known as “wish locks” and local legend holds that the magnetic field generated by trains passing underneath will cause energy to accumulate in the locks and fulfill the wishes.

On a fountain in Montevideo in Uruguay, a plaque is affixed to the front of the fountain that provides an explanation in both English and Spanish. The English version of the text reads, “The legend of this young fountain tells us that if a lock with the initials of two people in love is placed in it, they will return together to the fountain and their love will be forever locked.“

Links Through the internet: you can buy your own personalized engraved lock – Lock-itz or Love Locks UK. I am sure there are many more sources – these were just a couple of the links I came across.

For an amazing photographic collection of Love Locks, click here. Fotoeins Fotopress also has an impressive collection at Love Stories in Cologne.

Prague’s love lock wall is found overlooking the canal in the Mala Strana, near the Lennon Wall.

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About Anita Mac

The bucket list just keeps growing! The more I cross off - the more exciting new destinations and activities I find!
I have been fortunate enough to travel a considerable distance over the years. My love of many things, including travel, cycling, kayaking and photography fit together like hand and glove. I have to keep asking myself....where to next?
I am happy to share my travels and photography through my blogs: http://traveldestinationbucketlist.com and http://anitamacphotos.wordpress.com Hope you enjoy them as much as I do! On to the next adventure!

Discussion

73 thoughts on “Love Locks Prague”

Oh, I hope this doesn’t catch on in the U.S., just because we already have way too many tacky material-centered expressions of what are supposedly deep feelings. I prefer Locks of Love, the organization that takes donations of human hair for fashioning into wigs for cancer patients.

I know – isn’t it romantic!!! You could come back for an anniversary years later – provided the city doesn’t take it down first! The wall of love locks certainly appear to be a tourist pleaser – we were down pretty early in the morning on New Years Day and in a matter of minutes, there was a crowd! Would love to have had more time to quietly look at the locks.

Great timing, as I’m in the midst of writing a photo-essay post about the version in Köln (Cologne). :-) I forgot about the version in Praha, despite the fact that I’d gone past this wall a couple of times. Thanks for your post, Anita!

Anita–thanks for this excellent explanation! I had seen these in Florence last year on the Ponte Vecchio and was wondering what it was all about. I’m going to post about it and direct people to your blog.

It seems to me if a city is concerned about ‘love locks’ showing up everywhere, they should provide a designated spot that is used solely for the purpose of adding locks. They could make it a focal point in a park and create a romantic environment and in the process create a tourist attraction. I think if I were a city planner, and I had this ‘problem’ to deal with, I would use the a-fore-mentioned solution, rather than fighting a public that obviously is wanting of a place and a way to express their love. Everybody wins! :) The should add a graffiti wall while they’re at it, for those who prefer to express their love in writing.

This is an interesting post, Anita … I’d never heard of ‘love locks’ before.

I agree – love locks are a huge tourist attraction – and a designated area may well be the solution. I have read of cities wanted to remove the locks as an eyesore or because they were not safe. In Prague, the location is not a busy area, yet the tourists pour in to see the locks…I hope to see more love lock sites in my travels – I just love the romantic notion and the expression of love and hope! Glad you enjoyed the post.

I can only imagine how romantic it would be – a fabulous declaration of love in such a romantic city! Will have to search for them – I have yet to visit Florence – but it is high on the list of places to see!

I have heard of the love locks and I beleive they are in China too… this was from the Amazing Race of all places! The locks are fixed to a chain along a mountain top for lovers. Cool idea and in the right place it wouldn’t be an eye sore.

That’s hilarious that you heard about them from the Amazing Race! Love that they are along a mountain top – somehow that seems to me like people have made a bigger effort, climbing the mountain to pledge their love! I love it!

Pulled from that page, before we got married, my honey and I had an “intent ceremony” on the front lawn with close family and friends as witnesses, We professed our love and devotion and chained a lock around the willow tree we planted a couple of years before.

It destroys the bridge and we have to pay for removing and renovation of the bridge several times a year. This money could go to better porpoise. I agree with the idea of having some special designated place for it as it’s sweet.

Btw if you will be in Prague on December 5th come to Kampa around 4PM for St. Nicolas day we will be there with local police singing Christmas carols dressed as angels devils and St. Nicolas will be there as well.

these love locks as they call it..just prove how loving and sweet people living in that certain place…! it’s a good thing they have this kind of tradition…makes me fall in love over and over again…how different life turned out to be if i move there…

I agree! Have made a point of finding love locks in different cities when I travel. Have posted about Dubrovnik and their new love lock wall high above the coast. Have photos from Rome and Paris to add….I am sure most would agree…some of the most romantic cities in the world have the love locks.

I have yet to see the love locks in Seoul. The love locks are all over…. I was lucky to see them in Rome before they took the locks down. Dubrovnik is stunning – the locks are high above a cliff….I am with you – I hope to find more of them as I travel around the world. While they can be controversial…I still think they are romantic! Happy travels.